Hi Folks,
For anyone interested, here is a link to a BLOG post on a ride from Helena, Montana to Whitefish, Montana by Glacier National Park.
I had the banjo and guitar with me so I could do a program at The Springs Assisted Living Center in Whitefish.
I am an 81 year old rider who has traveled 51,000 miles across America during the past two years and enjoy doing free programs at Senior Centers and Assisted Living Centers along the way.
If you have a Senior Center in your area I would be happy to do a program when traveling through.
My daughter rode the sidecar on this trip as it was a practice run for the Iron Butt Association 48x10 ride we will do in August. All 48 continuous states in 10 days or less.
Should be a great ride.
In the meantime here is a link to our blog page for anyone interested.
Be Fantastic
Del Lonnquist http://sidecarman.blogspot.com/2016/05/500-mile-ride-from-helena-mo...

Lonnie, by now you know the 48-10 is all interstate riding, no time for the byways. Very smart to take trial runs before hand. Start with fresh fluids and tires all the way around, carry spare fuel out west and have an oil change planned for mid-way. Plan for extreme temperatures (some times on the same day. From 40 in the morning to 110 in the afternoon), With rain? Prepare for the worse, hope for the best. Hurricane season will have started by August.

For quickest routing in the Northeast and upper Midwest, you will need an EZ Tag or get stuck in long lines with pay as you go toll roads. I used the Illinois tag as they had the lowest fee rate. You do not have to be a resident of Illinois to get their tag. Other states wanted to charge a high monthly fee whether you used the tag or not.

My strategy was to be up 3:30 each morning, or the road by 4, finish the day's route by 8-10 each night. If using motels, have a back up motel name, address and number just in case. Not sure you will have the time/energy to set up and take down a camper every day. That's just more things to go wrong and two more tires to worry about.

Got the ride down to 7,330 miles, in nine days, ten hours, 29 minutes. Are there any parts or details of the puzzle yet to be worked out? Be glad to share any information or ideas I gleaned from last summers 48-10 ride.